Much like with the Bulls on Parade moniker, I think most of you are just attributing your feelings about the loss that followed to the jackets rather that detach the two. The jackets were a way for Barwin and Cody - who probably knew there was a good chance they wouldn't be back last year - doing something for their teammates before the big game. If anything, Andre is more to blame in building the game up than the damn jackets.

I'm more disappointed in the defense for not improving on the weaknesses exposed by the Packers' game, not some voodoo with jackets, and I used to live in New Orleans.

The only one in this thread that won't quit talking about the jackets is you.

As for the rest of your post, seriously? You think we're so upset about the nickname and jackets we've forgotten about any football-related problems we might have with the defense? I'm sorry, all of us except you.

I've never been the superstitious type but after this, I just might be changing my opinion on the matter. It's mind blowing the downturn this team has been one since then. I still think the Dome/Reliant are built on an ancient Indian burial ground...

Don't get me wrong, I think they looked good. At the same time it wasn't even as much the jackets as it was the big deal they made out of the jackets. The Texans don't know how to do something like that and keep it low key because they don't know how to "act like they've been there". I don't have a doubt in my mind that the if someone on the Patriots team had a custom jacket made and then a few other players wanted one too that could happen but you'd never hear about it. Nobody would do a story for the paper about it. Nobody would suggest that they all wear their jackets to a road game and then make a big deal about that.

They've been there before. Bob's guys never have and don't appear to be threatening to change that condition anytime soon. It tells you where their heads are and what their minds are on. It ain't winning football games. Not to the degree it needs to be.

True. I thought the same thing the year each receiver had his own TD dance. Such a big deal was made of it that I thought it was embarrassing. To me it made them look like they truly hadn't been there before.

A lot of that is just me though. Most fans suck that stuff up.

__________________Amy glances out the window; her hair, skin, and clothes take on a pronounced reddish tinge from Doppler effect as she drops out of the conversation at relativistic velocity. - Cryptonomicon

Don't get me wrong, I think they looked good. At the same time it wasn't even as much the jackets as it was the big deal they made out of the jackets. The Texans don't know how to do something like that and keep it low key because they don't know how to "act like they've been there". I don't have a doubt in my mind that the if someone on the Patriots team had a custom jacket made and then a few other players wanted one too that could happen but you'd never hear about it. Nobody would do a story for the paper about it. Nobody would suggest that they all wear their jackets to a road game and then make a big deal about that.

They've been there before. Bob's guys never have and don't appear to be threatening to change that condition anytime soon. It tells you where their heads are and what their minds are on. It ain't winning football games. Not to the degree it needs to be.

I believe that if the Texans had bust those things out after actually winning something significant or more respected organization had done it, NFL letterman jackets would have been "all the rage" or "selling like hotcakes" or whatever the current phrase is for lots of people buying them.

The difference of being fun and cool versus silliness had all to do with not winning and the organization that did it.

__________________It doesn't just seem like I was talking down to people, I was. (Runner 8/4/09).

I believe that if the Texans had bust those things out after actually winning something significant or more respected organization had done it, NFL letterman jackets would have been "all the rage" or "selling like hotcakes" or whatever the current phrase is for lots of people buying them.

The difference of being fun and cool versus silliness had all to do with not winning and the organization that did it.

It's the Tom Brady rule because Tom can show dressed the way he wants and have any hair cut he wants because he's Tom Brady .

Our D has nothing good to parade. Unless you consider chest bumping good or finding ways to be schooled on the field parade worthy I just don't see it.

I associate parades with happy, carefree, celebratory mentality. It's like telling other teams "Welcome! Parade over our happy a$$es!" TOO FRIENDLY. Ugh, just imagining it makes me... Ugh. Not that other teams need an invitation because they parade on our bulls every Sunday and sometimes on Monday.

I hate this nickname so much, but you know right now it actually fits. Our defense sucks and when its crunch time our efficiency or ability to make the big stop, wait for it..... goes on parade.

People are still upset about the letterman jackets? You guys need the free slushie more than I thought.

Do not confuse ridicule with anger. I do not perceive anyone is upset about the letterman jackets. They are now part of our collective Texans history, along with "Rosencopter", "Fresno Mafia", "Sausage Boy", etc.

When faced with an abysmal and very disappointing 2-8 season, already in the tank by November, the only thing we have left as fans is joking around about the situation. No crying in football and all that jazz.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhsman

I brought up the jackets because other people have in, y'know, the thread about a nickname for a team. Makes me wonder if there are Cowboy fans who hate the "America's team" phrase.

The "America's Team" thing is a good example. The Cowboys did not come up with that name. It was NFL Films that popularized it (taken from a sports article about the number of households watching Cowboys games in the '70's).

Tex Schramm (original president and general manager of the Cowboys) saw a golden marketing opportunity and certainly capitalized on it, but it was not self-gloss by the franchise. It was bestowed upon them by the royalty that is an NFL Films presentation, and the name stuck due to their success, championship pedigree, and growing legions of fans across the country. It certainly helped that they had all-American Roger Staubach as QB and genius class-act coach Tom Landry.

The obvious lesson is to let the nicknames come natural, not forced.

__________________"Football is only a diversion." ~ Houston Texans, Inc.

As DB pointed out with the "America's Team" moniker, if a team has a name put on them, fine, I feel that is the way to get a nickname.

When this Texans nickname came about it was self-produced (bad), and it was a horrible name (worse). Also my thinking at the time, mainly due to the fact that everybody seemed to have this need to name them, was why? Do they have to have a nickname? "Texans" was fine for me in the interim until a bonafide name came along that WAS them.

The best example I can think of was the 1985 Chicago Bears defense. Ok, "Monsters Of The Midway" but that was a name given the team back in the 40's, or right around there. They just recycled the name. Imo, recycled names are not authentic moniker's for an accomplished defense. In my view that defense, football's equivalent to boxing's Mike Tyson in both ferocity and longevity (relevance works too), had no name, not even "No Name." But to this day just say "'85" and "Bears" in the same sentence and immediately you think of terror in the eyes of the offensive offenders.

The Texans are the Texans, nickname or not. For my money, name me, for I will not be so pretentious as to name myself.

I guess I just don't mind the nickname because my family is full of Saints fans. The record could be 13-3 or 3-13, but they'll always drop a 'Who 'dat?' chant for their team. By comparison, the 'Bulls on Parade" monniker just sounds cool to me, and one that will be said with a bit more enthusiasm when the team is winning again.